Tipping Point

I frequently check the latest menswear trends at Juan's New Male Fashion blog and I have noticed that the slow diversification of men's clothing has accelerated during the past year.

In the past, there were only a handful of fashion designers who showed men's clothing that had a "feminine" influence, that is, "feminine" in a traditional and now outdated sense.

Lately, that handful has become a bandwagon full of designers who are showing menswear that not only has a feminine touch, but are designs that could have come right out of a woman's closet. I don't know for sure, but my guess is that the increased visibility of transwomen in society influenced the designers to show more gender diversity in their styles.

That being said, it is one thing to show something unusual on the catwalk and it is another thing to see something unusual on the sidewalk. Admittedly, the feminized menswear I have seen on the catwalk in the past seldom appeared on the sidewalks in my neck of the woods.

That is changing, too. More and more, guys of all ages are wearing more gender diverse clothing on the streets where you live, as documented by Juan's regular street style posts. I see such fashion diversity in Connecticut art museums, shopping malls and even in Connecticut grocery stores.

When I see a thirty-something guy wearing a long skirt, flouncy top and designer bag buying groceries at the local Stop & Shop, I wonder if we are at a tipping point. Will men in skirts and dresses become common and accepted in our society real soon now?

I dunno, but anything can happen. Half a century ago, who would have thought that males would wear makeup, jewelry, cologne, pantyhose,shapewear, leggings, purses, etc., and remove all their body hair. Perhaps, the election of a female President will move things along even faster.  

As Juan once wrote, "Gentlemen, put on your skirts and high heels, fetch your purses, and head to the future."

Wearing Jones New York.

Phillipe Blond